


Destiny's Shackles

by PrinceBrigan



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, M/M, Sad Ending, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2018-12-01 00:34:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11474889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceBrigan/pseuds/PrinceBrigan
Summary: 'Everyday was hard for him, fighting the divine beasts left him empty. Having to face those that he couldn’t protect, as each one of them wished him safe travels, as each one of them continued to give their support to the man that had ended their lives. He hadn’t been strong enough, he still wasn’t strong enough.'





	1. Chapter 1

He watched the water ripple as rain drops hit, he didn’t much care that it was raining. He didn’t much care about anything right now. He sat, cross-legged on the ground, his pack resting safely under a tree, as he stared at the ever changing ripples spread across the pond. He was just outside of the Zora domain at a small pond tucked away behind the mountains. Of course it had to start raining, he’d managed to keep his emotions under check, but something about the rain caused his fear and anxiety to well up within him. His deeply seeded guilt coming to the surface. Why was he the only one that had survived? Why did he have to be the hero? He never wanted this, never wanted his life to be like this. 

Everyday was hard for him, fighting the divine beasts left him empty. Having to face those that he couldn’t protect, as each one of them wished him safe travels, as each one of them continued to give their support to the man that had ended their lives. He hadn’t been strong enough, he still wasn’t strong enough. Every day he wished for the end to come, he wished that during the final battle he would take his last breath. He hated living like this, hated living with this guilt placed so heavily on his shoulders. There had to be someone better out though, someone more suited to saving Hyrule… Someone who wasn’t a failure. 

He shivered as the rain started to come down harder, night was approaching thus the temperature was dropping. There would be no way he could start a fire tonight. He knew he was welcome to go spend the night with the Zora’s but he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t face Sidon, not like this. He thought of Mipha, her smile, her overwhelming love for her brother and all those that she fought to protect. She was so young, so gentle, and he had taken her life away from her. Prince Sidon knew that and yet he was still willing to befriend him, he was just as gentle… No he was even more gentle that Mipha, he was strong, willing to fight for his people just like she was, but he was pure, wholesome, kind. He reminded Link so much of Mipha that it was sometimes unbearable. Looking at him reminded him of his failure to protect those that he cared so deeply for. 

He didn’t know when he started to cry, he clenched at his chest, a sob wracking his body. He curled in on himself, there was no one here, no one that could hear his pitiful sobbing, no one to judge him. He cried until his voice gave out, cried until he was a numb, unfeeling shell of a person. At some point he had lied down, mud coating his side, his body freezing from the cold and the rain. He didn’t care, he really just did not care anymore. Maybe if he closed his eyes, he wouldn’t have to worry about tomorrow, or the days after. Someone else would be born who could take his place, someone who wouldn’t be seen as a failure, someone who was more up to the task that he was. 

He didn’t know how long he had lied there, didn’t know how long he stared blankly at the pond, waiting for something to attack him, or perhaps for the world to finally claim his body. He was just too damn tired to care anymore. 

“Link? Link is that you?” 

He vaguely heard the voice, not entirely sure if it was real or his imagination. He felt the ground shake slightly, someone or something was running towards him. A flash of red passed him before it crouched down in front of him, he recognized this person, he knew who it was, but he just couldn’t place it right now. His mind was a fuzzy mess, nothing was allowing him to think. He felt a hand brush back his bangs, he heard the voice again but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Suddenly the red blur was gone, only just a moment before he felt himself being carefully picked up. The hands were gentle underneath his knees and his upper back. He felt something next to his ear, a gentle voice spoke to him, soft, caring. 

“Link, I do not know what happened, but I promise I will protect you.” 

It had been so long since he had any type of reassurance, he still couldn’t quite make out the figure carrying him, all he knew was the he was warm, he was someone that Link felt safe around. Closing his eyes, he leaned further in to the warmth, letting sleep take over, not caring if he woke up again or not. 

\-----

Link awoke to an overwhelming amount of warmth, there was a soft light somewhere. It wasn’t raining, he wasn’t lying on the ground anymore. Vaguely, he recalled the events that took place before the darkness took him. He cursed silently, cursed the world for letting him live another day. His body hurt, he couldn’t open his eyes if he tried. It took him a moment before he realized that someone was in the room, a few people actually. They were whispering softly, too far for him to hear, to low for him to attempt to make out the words. 

His head felt like it was splitting in two, it hurt so much, why did he have to suffer like this? Why did he have to suffer at all. Was this his punishment? Was he going to have to live like this for the rest of his life, because of what he had done, because of who he couldn’t save. The whispering soft when he left out a soft groan, the headache almost becoming too much for him to bear. He felt a hand on his forehead, someone cursed, ordering a doctor. Whose voice was that? It was the same person as last night, the one who had carried him to wherever he was. 

“Oh Link, I am so sorry. I hope you can forgive me for not finding you sooner.” 

Link wanted to scoff, to laugh at this person. He didn’t care that he didn’t find him sooner, he actually wished that he had found him too late. He was so exhausted, so drained. Traveling the world by yourself, trying to fight off an evil like this by yourself… It was too much; it was too much for any one person. He had few he could call friends, and even fewer who would go with him, who would face those dangers with him. He was alone, always, always alone. It took a toll on him. He barely slept anymore, barely ate. It was hard to find the time when you were always running from something, or chasing something. Why was he saved, just so he could suffer again? It was ridiculous, stupid even. If he couldn’t do it the first time, why would anyone think he was capable to do it a second time? 

Maybe this was the entire idea behind it, maybe it was simply because he would feel like this, that he had this guilt placed on him so heavily. Perhaps it was because he didn’t much care for himself anymore. Perhaps his own emotions got in the way last time, perhaps it was his own fear of dying that he couldn’t do it the first time. It made some sense to him, he didn’t care about his own life, which meant that he could do whatever he needed to during the final battle… It all made sense now, he was reborn just so he could give his life away without him holding back. 

After a few more minutes of being wrapped up in his own head he was forced to take some medicine, sleep finding him soon after. 

\-----

Several more days had passed before Link woke again. He felt normal, well as normal as he could feel. He opened his slowly, adjusting to the dim light coming from the corner of the room. Something heavy rested on the edge of the bed, looking down he frowned… Sidon. Of course, he was outside of the domain, Sidon tended to do rounds by himself during the rain, that’s who the red splotch was, that was why he recognized the voice, the warmth… It’s why he felt so safe. 

He sat up softly, looking down at Sidon’s sleeping form. He bit back a bitter smile, his eyes softening for just a moment. If the world was different, if he was forced to do this quest… He could see himself with Sidon, he loved him, he had for a while now. Sidon was the only one that truly made him feel wanted, the only one that made him feel safe. The world was cruel though, he knew it wouldn’t be possible to love him fully, not when he knew that he probably wasn’t going to make it out of the final battle, not when he wanted to make it out. 

He leaned forward end gently stroked Sidon’s head, trying to wake him as softly as he could. The Zora murmured something before his eyes opened, taking a moment to adjust before realize just who he was looking at. He sat up quickly, taking Link’s hands in his own. 

“Link, oh my goodness you’re awake! How are you feeling.” 

Link just shook his head, he didn’t want to speak, couldn’t. His heart felt too heavy looking at Sidon, he didn’t want to say anything that might betray him. He watched as Sidon frowned, he hated making Sidon feel this way, but he couldn’t do anything more. He had an inkling that Sidon felt the same about him, but it was far too dangerous to admit anything to him. He looking around, noticing his pack sitting on a shelf on the other side. Sidon had always been incredibly observant, and he was thankful that, that didn’t slip up this time around. 

He slipped his hand out of Sidon’s own, getting out of bed. He needed to leave, he had to leave. If he stayed for any extended period of time he might do something he would regret. Sidon made a noise, knowing what Link was doing, and knowing that he could do nothing to stop him. He just watched as Link dressed and grabbed his pack, following him out of the room and to the edge of the domain. 

Link turned to look at Sidon, to truly look at him. He loved him so terribly, he wanted to be able to make him happy, but he knew he couldn’t, he knew that this guilt he carried around would never leave him. 

“Link, you don’t have to go right away, you can stay.” 

Link just shook his head, turning to leave. A hand on his arm stopped him, Sidon had never tried to stop him before, he was desperate to get Link to stay. Link swallowed the lump in his throat, closing his eyes. 

“Link, please. Stay safe, if anything happens, you know that you can come here.” 

Link stood there, fighting his feet to try and move forward. If he was going to do something that he regretted in his life, well it might as well be this. He turned around, pulling Sidon down into a kiss. It felt so good, it felt so good to finally give into what he wanted, to do something that wasn’t forced upon him. They stayed like that for what felt like hours, Sidon’s arms wrapping around him in a gentle embrace. Tears formed in Link’s eyes, this was going to hurt Sidon, and that was the single thing he was going to regret. 

Link broke the kiss apart, putting his hand on Sidon’s chest and backing away gently. He took several steps backwards before stopping to finally speak. 

“Sidon, this might be the very last time I’ll ever see you. Stay true to yourself, to your heart. Become a king that the Zora people will admire for the rest of their lives. I love you, I’m sorry, and farewell.” 

He turned around and started walking, trying to ignore the anguished cries that came from the prince, trying to ignore the calls for him to come back. He heard scuffling behind him, most likely the guards trying to hold him back, to keep him there. If there was one thing Link was thankful for, it was the friendship he had made with a few of the Zora guards, they knew what he wanted, knew what he had to do. 

Link continued onward, Sidon’s cries becoming louder as he went, tearing his heart to shreds. When he finally made it far enough that he could no longer hear him, he patted the sword on his back, taking one final breath and making his way towards Hyrule Castle, towards his destiny, and more than likely, towards his death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I love Link with all my heart and soul  
> Also me: I must hurt him because I love him 
> 
> I'm sorry y'all, I'm a horrible person. 
> 
> Come yell at me on Tumblr or twitter 
> 
> Tumblr: Willofthevongola.tumblr.com  
> Twitter: @flyvolleybirbs


	2. Sidon's Small Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After nearly a year I finally decided to write Sidon's POV.

The rain made Sidon happy, I mean, of course it did, he was a Zora after all. His favorite part was doing the rounds, it was quiet, most monsters decided to hide during the rain, knowing full well they weren’t going to get very far in it. It made his rounds a lot more fun because he could trail off without worry, not that he really _had_ to worry about that ever. Ever since Link calmed down the beast, their domain had been quiet.

A small smile crossed his face when he thought about the small hero. He was one of his favorite people. Even from their first meeting Sidon could tell that Link was going to be a lifelong friend. Sure, the guy scared the hell out of him sometimes. He always seemed to dive headfirst into danger without thought of himself.  

There were nights where he would wake from a nightmare, Link’s funeral. He hated that one the most, he hated the way it made him feel, sorrow, guilt, unending frustration. Then there were other dreams he had, just the two of them sitting on the edge of a cliff, looking out at the domain and talking. For a while Sidon wondered why he kept thinking of the boy, why he would just think of him randomly, or when he would visit, how happy he’d suddenly get. 

His father called him out on it once, that memory more vivid than he’d like it to be.

* * *

_“Sidon, my child, I have something I need to ask you.”_

_Sidon was lounging in the throne room, reading when his father spoke up._

_“Hmmm?”_

_“What do you think of the small hero?”_

_“Link? Oh I think he’s wonderful. I mean he did manage to calm Vah Ruta. And he’s on his way to save Hyrule as well.”_

_“I wonder if that’s all you think.”_

_Sidon, looked confused._

_“I’m not sure what you mean.”_

_“Just think about it son. I’m not saying it’s wrong, I just want you to think about it before you make a decision that could change your life.”_

* * *

It took Sidon a while after that conversation to figure out what his father was talking about, but when he realized it, he wondered how he hadn’t figured it out before. He’d gone back to his father and let him know what he was planning to do, and as it would be, his father agreed.

He smiled at the memory as he made is way up the cliff to check on Lulu Lake. Lightning flashed through the sky, causing a soft sigh to come from the Zora, this was going to be his last area before he hunkered down for the lightning storm. He made his way to the edge of the field, about to turn around when he saw a flash of yellow on the ground on the other side of the lake. It took him a moment before he dove into the lake, swimming as quickly as he could.

“Link?”

Sidon surfaced, fear coating his body.

“Link? Link is that you?”

He ran across the small expanse of ground before kneeling down, brushing his hand across Link’s forehead, moving his bangs out of the way. He looked around and saw Link’s rucksack, running to grab it before gently putting his arms underneath Link’s legs and torso, picking him up.

“Link, I do not know what happened, but I promise, I will protect you.”

Sidon watch as Link’s eyes closed, the smaller one sinking further into him. A mix of emotions crossed his mind before panic over took everything. He had to take the long way down, not wanting to injure Link.

“Healer, please, I need a healer at my chambers immediately!”

Sidon ran through the domain, people stopping to let him pass, a few of them going to fetch a healer. He slammed his door open, setting Link down onto his bed. He looked over him, unsure what to do, his hands hovered above the boy, his mind running a million miles a second before he heard a knock on his door.

“Prince Sidon, is everything alright?”

Sidon snapped out of his thoughts as he rushed to the door.

“Nirir, please, you have to help him.”

Sidon turned to Link, showing the doctor.

“I found him by Lulu Lake, he was lying on the ground in the rain, he passed out soon after I got there. I don’t know what’s wrong, I don’t know if he’s injured, please, please you have to help him.”

Nirir placed a hand on Sidon’s shoulder, attempting to calm him down.

“Do not fret, I will look over him. I need you to leave while I do.”

Sidon nodded, taking on last look at the smaller boy.

“Take care of him please.”

“Prince Sidon, I will do my job.”

Sidon just sighed and left the room, heading towards the throne room. His father looked down on him as he entered, his voice soft as he spoke.

“I heard you found the small hero. What happened?”

“I, I don’t know. I was doing my rounds over by Lulu Lake and I found him lying on the ground. He must have been there for a while, he was soaking wet and barely breathing. Father, what if…”

“Don’t my child. Think positively, he will be fine. Our healers will do what it takes to make sure he’s fine.”

“I know father, it is just very disheartening. I have not seen him in quite a while and when I do, he is like this.”

“Just breath Sidon, things will be alright.”

Sidon just sunk down next to his father’s chair, waiting to hear back from the healer. Sidon lost track of the time, dozing off several times before he was summoned back to his chambers. Link was lying on the bed, hair dried and clothes changed, his face wasn’t as red as before and he seemed to be a little more at peace than he was.

“He’ll be fine Prince. He’ll more than likely be asleep for a few days. I can move him to the healers quarters so someone can keep an eye on him.”

“No need, I will watch over him.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

The healer just nodded and turned to leave.

“If you need anything else let me know. I’ll come back every now and then to check on him, but I trust that you’ll keep him safe.”

Sidon nodded, pulling up a chair next to the bed. Sidon stayed by Link’s side, only going out of the room every once in a while to check on some things. Most of his meals were brought to his chambers, small meetings where held there as well. No one could pry the prince away from the hero, and honestly no one really cared too.

Voli had come in to speak to Sidon when Link woke for the first time. Sidon walked over to him and gently placed his hand on Link’s head.

“Shit, I need the healer now.”

Voli nodded and headed out of the room, Sidon kneeling next to Link.

“Oh Link, I am so sorry. I hope you can forgive me for not finding you sooner.” 

The doctor came in soon after to check on him, he gave the small hero some potion and left, assuring Sidon that he would be alright. Sidon sighed gently and sat back down, his eyes resting on Link’s sleeping face.

“I wish I could do something for you. I spend my days waiting for your return, praying you are not injured. I cannot protect you the way I am now. I wish I could be like my sister. I wish I was brave enough to go and help you fight Ganon. I cannot, father will not let me. I am the Prince, I cannot go and sacrifice my life like my sister did.”

He looked down, clasping his hands together.

“I hate it. I want to help you so badly, why must I be so important to my people? There is not someone who could take over my role if I were to die in battle… God, I just wish I could show you how much I love you, how much I want to protect you. I guess I am forever cursed to carry a love that I cannot speak about… I guess now I understand what Mipha felt like.”

Sidon looked up to the ceiling, his eyes closing slightly.

“Mipha, please continue to protect our hero. I know you loved him, and I somehow have fallen in love with him as well. I guess we are cursed this way…”

* * *

Several more days passed without Link waking. It scared Sidon but he knew that he was just going to have to continue to wait, he hated waiting, it sucked. He wanted Link to wake up, he wanted to see those beautiful blue eyes, he wanted to see that tender smile… He just wanted to protect the small person in front of him. Sidon had fallen asleep with his head on the bed numerous times. The healers tried to get him to sleep in a proper bed, but he just wouldn’t have it. He was not leaving Link’s side until he woke up.

Sidon woke up with the feeling of someone stroking his head.

_“…Link…”_

He opened his eyes, waiting for them to adjust, taking a moment to realize just who was sitting up in front of him. He shot straight up in his seat, a smile bright on his face as he took one of Link’s hands.

“Link, oh my goodness you’re awake! How are you feeling?”

He watched as Link just shook his head, a frown crossing his face. Link got out of the bed and started to change, Sidon’s eyes following him the entire time. He made a noise, a mixture of a sigh and a whimper, he really did not want Link to leave.

When he left the room Sidon followed, the other Zora around the domain stopping to look on. They reached the edge and Sidon felt like he was about to lose his mind.

“Link, you don’t have to go right away, you can stay.”

Sidon’s heart broke when he watched Link shake his head and start to walk away, his arm shot out without him thinking, gently grabbing Link’s arm.

“Link, please, stay safe. If anything happens, you know that you can come here.”

Sidon didn’t move, didn’t let go of Link’s arm. He couldn’t let him go, not again, not now. When Link turned back around he smiled, he has a chance. Link’s next move surprised him, but he was so happy. The small hero pulled Sidon down into a kiss, Sidon’s arms going to wrap around him. The kiss was everything he hoped it would be, yet he couldn’t let go of the small amount of dread that covered his heart. The kiss made him happy, but it also frightened him. He wasn’t sure what Link was going to do after this, but he hoped he could stop him from doing something rash.

Link was the one to pull away, to push him back.

“Sidon, this might be the very last time I’ll ever see you. Stay true to yourself, to your heart. Become a kind that the Zora people will admire for the rest of their lives. I love you, I’m sorry, and farewell.”

Sidon let Link walk forward before the words processed through his brain. He started forward before he felt the hands of two guards keeping him back.

“Sidon you can’t, this is his duty.”

Sidon tried to pull away, but the guards continue to keep him in place.

“Link! Link please don’t do this. Don’t do anything rash. Link Please.”

Sidon tried to pull away, the force of the guards pulling him back bringing him to his knees. The further Link got the louder Sidon became, tears fully pouring down his face.

“Link, I love you so much, stay safe, come back to me when this is all over. There are people that care about you.”

When Link was out of eyesight, the guards let go of his arms, Sidon falling forward onto his hands. He screamed, pounding his fists onto the ground.

“This is not fair, it is just not fucking fair.”

After a while Sidon quieted down, looking towards the place where he last saw Link.

“Why must every person I love have to fight evil? First Mipha, now you… My dear champion, please come back to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyyyyyyyyy, please don't hate me. 
> 
> Also one of my favorite things is the size between the two. Sidon loves the fact that Link is so small, he comments on in constantly, and "small hero" or "small champion" is an endearing term coming from the gigantic fucking red fish. Link secretly likes it but never comments on it. ALSO just in general Sidon is amazed by how Link can do anything he sets his mind. I have a lot of headcannons about these two. 
> 
> I have one more chapter planned, so lets see if it takes me another year to write lmao. 
> 
> If you want to scream at me, or talk headcannons, hmu on my twitter. 
> 
> @flyvolleybirbs


End file.
